PLANS to build a national athletics stadium in the region have won backing from an influential body.

On the eve of the Athletics World Cup, in Madrid, taking place today and tomorrow, the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (Cabe) called on the Government to consider Newcastle/ Gateshead for such a stadium.

It believes that the area is the perfect setting for it and could attract European and World championships as well as grand prix events.

The proposed site for a stadium is a brownfield area in Gateshead, and it would stand adjacent to the proposed Sport Centre for Excellence.

It is predicted that the facility would generate investment that would benefit local communities for decades to come.

Jon Rouse, chief executive of Cabe, said: "We strongly encourage the Government to look at a bid by Newcastle/ Gateshead.

"The North-South divide which prevails in the sporting world has meant that, historically, attention has been focused on London and the South-East as a likely candidate for a national athletics stadium, which never had the regeneration potential of Newcastle/Gateshead.

"Almost equidistant from John O'Groats and Land's End, the dual city is truly at the UK's centre, and would be a fantastic location for a stunning piece of stadium architecture."